Hi everyone. I've had some other posts about other questions related to hernia repairs, but this one has to do with lower abdominal swelling/bloating. I seem to get puffy in this area fairly easily. I'll do well not getting this for some time, then it'll become a regular issue for a while, then maybe go away for a while, etc. I thought it could be a diet issue and tried elimination diets and currently am eating gluten-free and try to not eat a lot of carbs. I do notice that the swelling can be more with fruits and vegetables, but the same occurs even from just drinking water. I try to not drink anything really fast because my bladder can't seem to hold much at a time and then I become swollen from that too. I'm not sure if it could be a diet issue or some kind of bladder problem... but could this be related to my hernia repairs?

I had a double inguinal hernia repair at the end of 2009. No mesh or plugs were used and they repaired it with the traditional method. Things went pretty smoothly. When I feel swollen, sometimes there is a reason (full bladder) and other times not. Sometimes I feel like if this happens with my bladder, it doesn't fully go back down. The muscles feel like they are being pushed at and feel weak, like they can't support my insides. I try to be active and love to work out, but it gets uncomfortable when this is going on. It feels better to relax my abs as much as possible and not suck it in... hurts much more and feels strained if I try to suck it in. I get some relief to wear supportive clothing. When I'm undressed it tends to feel worse.

Do any of you think this could be related to my hernia repairs? Will this probably be permanent if that's the case? I'm trying changing some more of my diet first... but if all stays the same, I may request an ultrasound or something. I may ask about possibly bladder issues too if that sounds like a possibility. FYI - I have had some issues around the scar tissue. New pains started coming up after I woke up in the middle of the night having to pee really bad. The swelling from the area seemed to irritate the scar tissue. Thankfully I see no new bulge or sign of hernia recurrence. I just don't want to do anything that would make this happen... and of course keep the pains tolerable!

Is the scar from your hernia repair over the bladder area? I had bladder irritation for the first couple of weeks after open repair of 2 hernia's. No problems now at 4 weeks post op. Incision on lower right side starts near midline about 3 inches long. No problems with mesh, needed to have this as my tissues are weak.
Has this been an issue for you since your op or did it start a long time afterwards? It doesn't seem right to me, to be affecting your bladder so much after nearly 3 years. If you can't pull in your ab's it may begin to affect your back, especially as you like to work out.
I expect only your Dr's can give you answers on this one. Are you willing to let them examine you?
Good luck
Maya

Yes, it is definitely in that general area. I definitely feel that this is more of a recent issue, but it seems to be a little better right now. It fluctuates from time to time. I'm not sure if this is correct, but it seems that my transverse abs are a little less elastic. I'll get a little puffy from a full bladder or eating something that made me feel bloated, and then my abs seem to "stretch" a bit and not really go back down. I do a lot of plank-type exercises, but once this happens, it gets very uncomfortable and feels strained to do any kinds of these exercises. Then it gets better over time and I'm back to flatter abs. Now that I really think about it, this has been going on for a while now. I will be seeing my primary doctor in October to ask about an ultrasound to check things out. If all looks normal, I may just need to talk to a physical therapist that has experience with hernias. I've talked to physical therapists but usually get very general advice. Hopefully I will have some answers soon! Yes, I definitely don't want my back to have issues too. I already have quite a lot of chronic pain in my upper back and neck area (being treated for this currently), so I definitely don't want more of that Thank you for your reply! I hope your own recovery continues to go well!

The Following User Says Thank You to tUrRrRa For This Useful Post:mayam (09-24-2012)

Hi everyone. I've had some other posts about other questions related to hernia repairs, but this one has to do with lower abdominal swelling/bloating. I seem to get puffy in this area fairly easily. I'll do well not getting this for some time, then it'll become a regular issue for a while, then maybe go away for a while, etc. I thought it could be a diet issue and tried elimination diets and currently am eating gluten-free and try to not eat a lot of carbs. I do notice that the swelling can be more with fruits and vegetables, but the same occurs even from just drinking water. I try to not drink anything really fast because my bladder can't seem to hold much at a time and then I become swollen from that too. I'm not sure if it could be a diet issue or some kind of bladder problem... but could this be related to my hernia repairs?

I had a double inguinal hernia repair at the end of 2009. No mesh or plugs Didwere used and they repaired it with the traditional method. Things went pretty smoothly. When I feel swollen, sometimes there is a reason (full bladder) and other times not. Sometimes I feel like if this happens with my bladder, it doesn't fully go back down. The muscles feel like they are being pushed at and feel weak, like they can't support my insides. I try to be active and love to work out, but it gets uncomfortable when this is going on. It feels better to relax my abs as much as possible and not suck it in... hurts much more and feels strained if I try to suck it in. I get some relief to wear supportive clothing. When I'm undressed it tends to feel worse.

Do any of you think this could be related to my hernia repairs? Will this probably be permanent if that's the case? I'm trying changing some more of my diet first... but if all stays the same, I may request an ultrasound or something. I may ask about possibly bladder issues too if that sounds like a possibility. FYI - I have had some issues around the scar tissue. New pains started coming up after I woke up in the middle of the night having to pee really bad. The swelling from the area seemed to irritate the scar tissue. Thankfully I see no new bulge or sign of hernia recurrence. I just don't want to do anything that would make this happen... and of course keep the pains tolerable!